Pasta Palooza .... Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Happy Sunday!  I usually don't post on the weekends, but I had this typed up and ready to go so why not share a warm meal that maybe you want to make for this Sunday Supper!

So technically mine is not spaghetti, but I do like I always do when I like a recipe but don't have exactly what I need on hand.  I do the next best thing, fake it until you make it!  So I thought it would be fun to use the spiral noodles I had in the pantry.  The boys could have cared less it had chicken, cheese and noodles and it was put in front of them ... hehe!   I found this great recipe on Cooking with Kim.

Ingredients:

16 oz. dry spaghetti, cooked

1 lb. Velveeta Light (2%)Cheese

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (I use white meat only)

1 can 98% FF cream of mushroom soup

1 can 98% FF cream of chicken soup

1 can of petite diced tomotoes

1 4oz. can of mild green chilies

4 oz can mushroom stems & pieces, drained

1/2 cup water

1 small onion, diced--or less, to taste

salt & pepper to taste

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in slowcooker and stir to mix well. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir before serving.

ALEXIS NOTES: I skip the spray and use a crockpot liner and call it good!  As you see I used spiral noddles instead of spaghetti. And yes I skipped the mushrooms, no one here likes them.  I also put in noddles in a 1/2 hour before serving, I HATE mushy noddles, AND no I don't precook them.

Another super easy recipe!  Throw in crock-pot and forget about it!

What's on your menu tonight?

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Noodles on the Skinny Side ... Slow Cooker Cheesy Spaghetti with Turkey

Here's another skinny noodle dish that will fill you up but not fill you out in those jeans!  It's not pretty but it sure was yummy.  I must admit I'm the worse at making the dishes look food photo ready.   These ladies must spend hours getting their food ready to take a photo of it, me I'm lucky I get 5 seconds to take the photo before everyone runs in grabbing the plate from me.  So I know I won't be the most pinned or traffic to my site but I know I've passed on a yummy recipe!  

I found this Slow Cooker Cheesy Spaghetti on Skinny Ms's website.  This is one of my favorite site's for Weight Watcher recipes.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey sausage (see recipe below)
1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (no sugar added)
8 ounces (uncooked) 100% whole wheat spaghetti, about 2/3 of a 13.25 oz box, break into small pieces before adding to meat mixture
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 cup skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chopped (fresh) basil
Kosher or sea Salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

TURKEY SAUSAGE INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

Directions

Add all the sausage ingredients a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Cook ground turkey sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking into small pieces while cooking. Ensure the turkey loses its pink color before removing from heat. Drain, discard any fat and set aside. Combine meat with marinara and broken spaghetti pieces.

In a medium bowl combine cooked turkey sausage with the remaining ingredients, add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 2-3 hours or until spaghetti is al dente and cheese is bubbly.

Serve and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

ALEXIS NOTES: I skipped the making of the turkey sausage and just used some ground turkey I had cooked up that I needed to use up.  Just reminder when putting noodles in a crockpot I find that if you put them in an hour before you serve the dish they won't be gooey and soggy.

Enjoy you will love this one!

Something to keep your belly warm in this cold season.

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE. 

Pasta Palooza ... Taco Macaroni and Cheese

As most of you know the boys love anything with noodles!  And then you add their love of anything Mexican food then we have a winner.  So then when I came across this Taco Macaroni and Cheese on Cassie Craves, I just had to give it a shot.  This was a hit with Rick and the boys, it sure did smell good (only smells for this girl until I'm done with this diet).

Ingredients:

1 pound macaroni or shell pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serving of taco seasoning (or 1 packet of store-bought seasoning mix)
1 cup salsa
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into chunks
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and sweat the onion together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the beef is completely cooked through, drain off excess fat, return to skillet, and add garlic. Cook and stir 30 seconds. Add taco seasoning and salsa and stir to combine; reduce heat to low.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add cream cheese, milk, and sour cream and stir to combine. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is thick and bubbling. Stir in shredded cheese.

4. Add cheese sauce and ground beef mixture to pasta and stir to combine. Top each serving with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

A super easy recipe and I had everything on hand!

Hope you give it a try!

What's on your menu tonight?

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Noodles & Banana’s (ok not together … lol)

Ok have I told you how much I love Pinterest?  I love doing my meal planning with it and have found these two recipes PLUS a really cool trick how to shred chicken fast (instead of me doing it with 2 forks and having uneven chicken.

First I found this Bacon Ranch Slow Cooker Chicken, that was super yummy served over whole wheat noodles.

This was the trick I found on pinterest and it ACTUALLY worked!  I cooked the chicken in the crockpot and then threw it in my Kitchen-aid mixer with the paddle and with in seconds I had perfectly shredded chicken.

And a little something special for my neighbor.  I found this Banana Oatmeal Cookie Recipe that I made into scones in my new scone pan!  Then a simple glaze of powder sugar, milk & vanilla.

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So there you have it two more easy recipes.  We ended up buying a new bed last night at Ikea so it was a quick meal at the Ikea Bistro.  So hopefully tonight while Rick is building our new bed (with that lovely allen wrench) and taking apart our old four poster log bed.  I may get an actual dinner together.

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Warm me up please …

It’s been so chilly lately around here and it’s effecting my mood … ugh.  Then I wake up this morning to see this ------>

YUP that’s SNOW!

Why not share some yummy tummy warming meals I made last week.  First off I want to share The Best Darn Chili Con Carne With Beans. This is from one of my favorite sites Skinny Kitchen.  This was easy to make and the boys loved it, Cole even took it to lunch.  I used a sausage instead of lean ground beef (because that is what I had on hand).

Last on our list was one I loved the boys and Rick just thought it was ok.  This Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole is from my other favorite site Skinny Taste. I cut up my chicken to make it easy for me and steamed my broccoli so it wouldn’t be hard.

  I’m going to go visit my grandmother before we leave for Disney tomorrow so I’m not sure I’ll be making dinner … lol it maybe a cereal night … hehe.  Hope you’re all staying warm!

Pasta Tuesday (2 Recipes)

Pasta is always a hit with the boys, I can usually get everyone here to agree on that! And as normal even working from home I'm running around like a nut to get dinner on the table. Needless to say I'm always on the look for a quick meal!

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One of my favorite food blogs is Cassie Craves

I found BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pasta

1 pound penne or other short pasta
1 pound bacon, chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks

1 red onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

2/3 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Green onions, bacon, and shredded cheese for garnish, if desired

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, add bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towel.

3. Add the chicken and red onion to the bacon grease in the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the onion is softened. Stir in the reserved bacon, barbecue sauce and sour cream. Once mixed, add in the shredded cheese. Add pasta and stir to combine; heat through.

4. Serve immediately, garnishing with red or green onions, bacon and shredded cheese, if desired.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used whole wheat mini shells, I used turkey bacon, skipped the red onion & Light sour cream. It may not be beautiful but it sure was YUMMY!

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Next looks a little better to the eye and was still super yummy!!!

Tortellini Simmer

by About.com

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (26-ounce) jar pasta sauce

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 (20-ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, cook ground beef with onions and garlic until beef is browned, stirring to break up meat. Drain well.

Add pasta sauce and diced tomatoes; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then add tortellini, stirring well. Cover skillet and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3-6 minutes until tortellini is hot and tender.

I'm linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday at the Table, Delectable Tuesday, Delicious Dishes and Hearth and Soul.